SnackFever, June Original Box

Subscription boxes are a funny thing. The ones that I've subscribed to I've really enjoyed, but for some reason I find it harder to justify spending $20 - $30 on snacks when they come in the mail every month, versus spending that amount on snacks I've chosen at a store, online or in person. If I get right down to it, I think it's all about choosing things for myself. OyatsuBox was perfect for me as my taste seemed to run right down the line with theirs, but I'm waiting to renew my subscription until the autumn so I can get chocolate in my boxes without fear of melting. I'll be back, don't you worry.

In the mean time, I did want to get my monthly foreign snack box fix, but I didn't want to risk international shipping in the hot weather. That's when I discovered SnackFever, who are based in LA but send out Korean snacks. Sounds too good to be true, but at $20 a month for a good sized box I figured it was worth a shot. I also thought their social media was really charming, and being mere hours from LA I knew that my box would probably arrive ASAP. I'm impatient about shipping, what can I say?

One interesting thing I observed about SnackFever was that they have 3 sizes for the boxes but it's not just a matter of more stuff added on as you go along...The three boxes actually all contain slightly different things. There are some that carry-over but what your friend got in their mini box isn't necessarily going to come in your original box.

The Deluxe Box is $40, but apparently comes with more premium snacks. I'm not knowledgeable on Korean snacks in the same way that I am about Japanese snacks, so I can't say whether or not the items in the largest box are observably more 'premium', but there are definitely more of them!

The Mini Box is a pretty good deal at under $15, but I'm happy spending another $5 to ensure I get a drink & ramen, so Original Box it was!

The box itself was cool, it's nicely branded & seems very sturdy. Definitely was filled up with intriguing snacks, as well. Like I said, Korean snacks are a new world for me so I didn't recognize anything straight away. SnackFever didn't include an actual print-out explaining these specific snacks, but there was a print-out with some info on them as a company and I believe a coupon code - I lost it, though. However I did get an email explaining what was in my box, so you will have all the information you need!

So let's do a quick run down of what I received - not everything has photos because some things got eaten in a gluttonous haze:

Snack Ramen
This was a delicious instant noodle - while Korean candy & snacks are new to me, I've had a lot of Korean instant noodles & I love them. This one isn't knock-your-head-off spicy, but it's got some definite red pepper heat to it. It's a soup noodle and a bit smaller of a portion than your classic instant noodle...ergo, 'snack' ramen. There was some heat & a bit of meatiness to the broth, and the noodles had a substantial chew. Basically you can't go wrong with Korean instant noodles, in my opinion, if you love a bit of heat. This would be a good beginner-to-intermediate noodle.

Margaret Choco Cookies
Mm, this was a lovely thick cookie with a firm, almost crumbly chocolate filling. It reminded me of chocolate-filled pastries, as the surrounding cookie wasn't too sweet and wasn't particularly crunchy. More of a soft pastry texture, with a bit of chew. Went really nicely with a cup of tea - unfortunately I had to share this with my husband so I only got to try one. What a one it was, though! I'd pick up a box if I spotted them somewhere.

French Macchiato Pastry
This one was really cool, I suppose it's meant to taste like coffee but I felt it tasted like maple syrup. The SnackFever blog suggested having it with a cup of coffee, and it did pair very nicely. Could be the name is actually just meant to say, 'Have me with coffee!' not...I am coffee. It was a very crisp & thin bit of proper pastry. Again, I'd happily pick up a box.

Poteau Crackers
These were interesting! I didn't know what to expect as the blog described them as cream cookies, but they're really more like sandwich crackers in the style of Ritz or Tuc for my UK readers. Buttery & just a little salty, but instead of having a cheese filling as is customary for sandwich cracker snacks, they a butter flavored filling, that was actually a bit sweet. It was cool & I happily scarfed down the pack I had but I think my tastebud's prefer a more savory filling than these had. If I got another set in my box I'd eat them, but I won't seek them out. Unless they come in other flavors!

Candy Kitchen Hard Candies
These come with three flavors, Broccoli & Kiwi, Tomato & Grapefruit, and Carrot & Apple. Yeah, weird huh? You guys know I'm not nuts for hard candies, I understand their place in the world but I'll choose something I can chew any day of the week...That being said, these were cool and very unique. My favorite by far was the Tomato & Grapefruit, because I can taste both in equal measures. The grapefruit is the first flavor that hits, and it's a very true, not too sweet grapefruit, it has elements of bitterness that I didn't expect in a hard candy. The tomato comes out as kind of a vegetal sweetness - it's just cool & accurate. Seems like I should be eating it as an expensive salad, not a hard candy. The Apple & Carrot just tasted like an apple, which makes sense as carrots are actually pretty sweet & unassuming vegetables. The Broccoli & Kiwi tasted just like kiwi to me, but kiwi is one of my least favorite fruits so I can't judge. These are very cool, and something I never would've tried had it not been for this box!

My Chew
Nice addition to the box, but if you've had Hi-Chew you'll know what to expect. I got the grape flavor and it's a nice little taffy, but hard to shout from the rooftops. Still, good candy is good candy.

Aye-Shyuh Candy
They're not kidding folks, these are sour! Really small but powerful melon (?) flavored balls of chewy sour-osity. I had one to try it, but I'm not a sour candy fanatic so that's all I needed. if you like sour sweets though, these are the ones for you. I appreciated that they were gently chewy, and didn't get stuck in my teeth like a lot of other similar candies would. I'd buy a pack for a kid and watch their face, haha.

Pineapple Drink
My least favorite thing in the box, but I do understand the difficulty with finding interesting drinks and shipping them from overseas. Says the person who commissioned a box with two new Japanese Pepsis in it and shouted out loud about the shipping...you'll see that review sometime later. Anyway, this pineapple juice drink was not bad, but it didn't feel particularly special. It was pulpy and sweet, probably could've used a shot of rum or something... Considering how awesome I thought everything else was though, it was just a bit of bonus juice really.

Kkokal Corn Honey Butter Snacks
These were delicious, and I'm just the kind of person who loves the fact that they had a League of Legends tie-in. I don't play LoL much (laptop can't take it) but I know tons of people who do, and I've watched every documentary about e-sports there is, so seeing that it ties in to the national league for Korea...that was cool. These are honey butter flavored, which was a flavor that took Korea by storm awhile ago. They're a bit salty, a bit sweet, have some of the unctuous taste of buttered popcorn but by far the best thing about them is they're basically Bugles. I haven't had Bugles in years, but they're dunce-cap shaped corn snacks that had a particularly satisfying crunch, much like these. Nice one, Kkokal Corn! I'd love to try a more savory flavor sometime.

Pororo Yogurt Mix
Okay, you mix this powder with milk to make yogurt, I think, but I actually don't much keep milk in the house. I eat cereal with, funny enough, yogurt - so I don't need milk. We do have half & half though, so I followed the instructions on the packet but subbed for half & half where it said milk. I don't know if that messed something up, or if I just didn't spend enough time mixing (about 5 minutes), but it never really thickened up much. I took a sip and it was like unsweetened plain yogurt milk. Can't say I loved it, but I definitely appreciate the sentiment & the chance to try something I'd never even heard of before. What I do love, however, is that duck & frog combo. Nice.

Over all my experience with SnackFever was great - for $20 shipped that's a load of snacks, and plenty that I would've otherwise not seen or tried. They do an admirable job of sourcing Korean snacks from within LA, and I think they also have deals with some Korean snack companies in order to bring out exclusive snacks, too! I'm looking forward to future boxes indeed.

What I Will Miss from the UK

So before I go, I really wanted to just run down some of my favorite things from my time spent in the UK. Food related of course, as I'm sure you're not that curious what British TV I will miss (for the record, First Dates, various Screenwipes & Dragon's Den) nor my apprehensions for any public transport other than England's...

These are the things I know I will miss - some kinda generic, some really specific.

Biscuits...I will miss you most of all. From the humble Custard Cream, to the finest dark chocolate covered ginger biscuit, what will I dunk in coffee or tea in America? American cookies are designed to be dunked in milk exclusively, and when they're popped into hot drinks they basically disintegrate immediately . The structural integrity of a Chips Ahoy! is rather poor and to be honest, they're all just a bit too sweet to have all the time. Shortbread is easy enough to get ahold of, but what about speciality shortbreads? Your earl grey type, your rose flavored? Ain't happening.

For as much as I love Oreos & other American cookies you can get on the shelf, when they're my only option...I think I'll be dreaming of a pack of Viennese Fingers.

Abundance of tea...Everybody knows America is not a real tea-centric country. Sure, green tea has become quite popular and there are interesting brands like Davids' Tea & Celestial Seasonings, but PG Tips? Fuggedaboutit. I anticipate that I'll crave simple tea like that every once in awhile, and it won't be in easy supply.

Clotted cream...Does this need any explanation? Clotted cream is the most delicious & horrible-for-you thing that I've ever had in England, and I've eaten a lot of delicious garbage here. It's unctuous cream with the texture of some kinda butter/stringy cheese hybrid, and you put it on top of warm sweet things. The British in general love cream, and I am right there with them - pouring cream, flavored creams, cream as a standard dessert condiment...It's just not like that in America. I'll make due with whipped cream, but I'll be thinking of clotted cream.

European meat...While I love Mexican chorizo & I'm glad I will be able to enjoy it again, I will be missing Spanish chorizo. Also German Garlic Sausage, and German Brunswick Ham, and many Italian & Spanish meats. While nearly all of these are available in America in some form or another, they're quite a bit harder to find & will set you back a far prettier penny...or, pence. American lunch meat is way cheaper than British lunch meat of the same style (plain turkey, for instance) but the continental stuff will be hard to replace.

European/British cheese...Cheddar is better here. There are dozens of speciality continental cheeses at almost every supermarket, and if you want a deep-fried camembert damnit, you can get it. There is no question in my mind that cheese variety & quality is better in the UK than it is in the US. While my husband is excited for Monterey & Pepper Jack, I know that the novelty will wear off soon and he'll want something with the sting (and stink) of European cheese. Velveeta won't sustain us in the same way extra mature cheddar did.

Brewdog...Tons of cool beers in America, for sure. Are they Brewdog though? Nope. The packaging, the variety, all the pubs along the city of London (and beyond!) make Brewdog feel special, and like something I'll be missing. It helps that it was the very first beer I tried that didn't make me recoil in grossosity, and while my tastes have expanded now to enjoy all sorts of beer, Brewdog's Punk IPA will always hold a special place in my heart for being the very first!

Pret & Eat...There are plenty of alternatives to these two chains in terms of generic mid-range lunch option, but I've gotten so used to the rhythm of Pret & Eat's seasonal menu, and I look forward to the introduction of new toasties or wraps every few months. The flavor combinations are also usually pretty different than what we get in America, so my favorite Red Pepper Tapanade & Halloumi hot flatbread from Eat will be hard to replace like-for-like.

Luxury yogurts...Obviously we've got loads of yogurts in America, actually probably more than in the UK. Red velvet greek yogurt, yogurt with mango & sriachia, and even weirder varieties...the issue is in America yogurt is really only considered a 'diet food', or at the very least, healthy. Nobody's trying to make it more caloric, but listen...adding whipped cream to that yogurt makes it REAL good. Makes it like a smooth cream dessert with the addition of kinda-healthy probiotics. What's not to like? America, think about it. Meanwhile I'll be missing the M&S range of luxury yogurts and Muller fancy corners.

Big News: CreamySteaks Relocation

Hey readers!

So, I know I've been soooo quiet lately, but that's because of some big changes that required and continue to require a lot of my time. Cut a long story short - I'm moving back to the USA. My husband's job is taking him to California, and of course I'm accompanying!

This has been in the cards for awhile, always kind of the plan to move back, but it does feel odd. I've really developed a life here in the UK and I know there is so much that I will miss about it. It's bittersweet - I know this is the right decision for our life goals & our future, but this is really where I felt like I became an adult. Started my career here, learned public transportation here, got married here...Just a lot of nice memories & beginnings all happened in this country. Then again, I have loads of nice memories & beginnings from the US -- and more to come in the future, I'm sure.

So the big news for you guys is that I will no longer be reviewing UK restaurants & products as of late March. I'm sure I'll get the occasional care package, but there will be less UK focused content to be had.

In general, CreamySteaks will review US products & San Francisco-area restaurants from late March. I am going to continue blogging, but the content will differ - I'm sorry for the change to my long time UK readers, but I hope that perhaps you'll continue to read to find out what sort of cool things are going on across the pond. I know I'll keep reading the blogs kept by the lovely UK bloggers that I've gotten to know over the years. I'll miss being able to just pop out to Sainsbury's and find the stuff, but I'll keep on reading!

Of course, I will still be reviewing Japanese snacks, perhaps more often as it's a bit more accessible in America. I'll also still be doing Food I'd Like to Eat round-ups, maybe even more, as those are quite fun!

Thank you all so much for having read CreamySteaks, and I do hope you'll continue down the road with me as I explore San Francisco's seemingly endless restaurants and all the wacky Oreo flavors of America...and beyond!

Food I'd Like to Eat: Chocolate Edition

Living here in the UK, I do feel that we get a fair share of chocolate treats. Like very rarely do I think, "Man, I wish we had that over here." It does happen though, and here are a few things that have me wishing I could trade in some crummy new-style Creme Eggs for something from further afield.

This is kind of a cheat because I've had this one before, from France - although I guess this brand is Swiss. It was so amazing, stiff & nutty praline cream surrounded by blonde chocolate. Blonde chocolate, if you're not sure, is like Valrhona Dulcey or an upmarket Caramac. Kind of white chocolate flavored with caramel. These were really just amazing - very satisfying, quite sweet, with a lot of nutty flavor from the center.

I loved Cherry M&Ms when I was younger when they first came out, and I hadn't seen them in ages! So when I saw they were back, I was like - oh yeah, how romantic. Unfortunately, duh, they're only in America. They've also released a Strawberry version, but to me that one seems like it would be a bit too sweet and not have the tangy edge of a cherry chocolate.

Another cherry chocolate! This combo doesn't get a ton of play here in the UK, except in cake form. This one would obviously be way better than the M&Ms, it's dark chocolate and a much higher quality brand.

I found two different varieties of peanut butter & jelly chocolate bars on this US small-batch producer website, Mouth. Uhhh I'd try both. I love peanut butter, I love jelly, I love chocolate - I just know this combination would work really well. Salty, sweet, and tangy!

This one is passion fruit jelly, and it seems super tall. Looks...good. Like, what's not to like? Unless you're allergic to peanuts. This one is by Fixx Chocolates.

This one is 'peanut praline' and raspberry pate de fruit. Also, apparently, described as 'crispy'. Reckon it's like crunchy peanut butter, then? This one is by Tumbador Chocolates.

Finally, these strange 'chocolates' called Il Morso are made of coffee beans & cocoa butter, so it's not really coffee flavored chocolate, it's a coffee based confection. Like, an entirely new thing. Cool though, I'd love to try it! There are a few flavors; Americano (plain), Coffee & Cream (well...creamier, I'm sure), Mocha (added chocolate) and Matcha Green Tea (no coffee, matcha instead!). I'm down to try them all. Unfortunately they're only in the USA for now, but this more than the rest seems like the sort of thing that would take off in the UK!

Well, that's about it for now - any chocolates you've seen overseas that you wish would make the journey to the UK?

Puccho Salted Salmon

I'll cut to the chase, this was disgusting. Disgustoid. Highly illogical. Unpleasant.

Watch me eat it.

OyatsuBox October Unboxing

Hi everyone! Sorry I skipped September's OyatsuBox - I did receive it, but I was on vacation for a lot of September so I never really got around to doing an unboxing. Needless to say, I did open it up - lots of nice stuff in there but alas, no real review material.

So, moving right along to this month's unboxing. The October box is really good, even in the mid-range tier. So take a look and see what you think. The one thing I'll say is a bit more Halloween theming wouldn't have gone amiss, but I know that's a lot to ask. :) We did get cute Halloween Koala March cookies, so pretty good! I also happened to get a rather  s p o o k y  gachapon toy.



Thanks for watching!

Japanese Candy Giveaway!

You guys may have already guessed this, but I have way too much candy.

I need to clear some space for...incoming new candy.

Ergo, two, count 'em, two European giveaways are happening this September.

Both hearty boxes of Japanese candy! Want to know what's inside? I've made two, count 'em, two videos to show you just that. I consider them boxing videos, as opposed to your classic unboxing. Believe me though, you'll want these candies - so enter now while the videos buffer, right?

Click HERE to enter to win one of 2 boxes of Japanese candy!

Sorry to say that this giveaway is open for Europe only. Any entries from outside of Europe will have to be discounted...Again, sorry! Now onto the contents:


It ends Saturday the 26th at midnight, and I'll choose two winners on Sunday. One will win the big box, and other shall win the small. Huzzah!

OyatsuBox August Unboxing

Back again with another unboxing video! This time it's August's OyatsuBox. In the video I wonder if I've received the 'Premium' or the 'Original' box, and it was in fact the premium. I've changed my subscription to save a bit of money, but I'm thinking I enjoyed the contents of the premium version so much that I may go back to it after this coming month's original box, which is already on it's way to me.

 It's only a few £s difference, and I do enjoy receiving tons of Japanese candy. I know I'd be kicking myself to find out I missed something really cool! Here's hoping next month's premium box isn't uh, that great. ;)

Food I'd Like to Eat: Burger Edition

It's August 27th, again - same as every year. Dates in months...dates in months never change.

But hey! It's National Burger Day in the UK!

As an American, eating burgers is a God-given right of mine. On my way out of the country I was given a badge that allows me to consume red meat of any quantity without receiving concerned looks from the staff, if shown to the maitre d'. Unfortunately, that badge also disqualifies me from participating in any burger-based food challenges while overseas. Anyway, I eat a lot of burgers is what I'm getting at.

My favorite burger in the whole of London? Burger Bear, of course. I haven't made it over to the Magic Roundabout yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I had a grizzly bear burger about once a week when I first started working near Old Street, I had to cut myself off because I was starting to grow a beard, but they're the best. Bacon jam, Holy F*ck Hot sauce - tasty stuff. Check him out when you're in London!

This isn't about my favorite burgers that I have eaten, however - this is about burgers that I have yet to try, but would like to. Here we go!

Tony's Bodacious Bacon Cheeseburger, Max & Erma's
This is truly bodacious. Like, radical rashers. Here is what's inside:
"Creamy roasted garlic cheese spread, smoked bacon marmalade, even more smoked bacon with lettuce on a toasted brioche bun."
Hubba hubba. Garlic, cheese, bacon,marmalade, beef. This has some of my favorite components on it. Garlic is a flavor that doesn't often get paired with burgers, but I see no reason why it shouldn't be. This burger is available at Max & Erma's, a restaurant that specializes in burgers & big bathtubs full of ice cream sundae fixin's. It should come as no surprise that this was the place I ate every year for my birthday growing up. I wouldn't hear of any other place. I may have been not into this as a kid, but now? Give it, give it, give it! With a side of bathtub sundae, please.

image taken from BrandEating (check them out for awesome US food news)

All Day Brunch Burger, Applebee's
Burgers for breakfast? Alliteration at Applebee's? Like...love? This burger includes:
"Seared in with bacon & onions, piled high with fried egg, crispy hash browns, American cheese, and ketchup."
Is that brunch? I mean, yeah, kinda. I'm not sure what it means that the bacon & onions are 'seared in', does that mean they're integrated into the mince, or they're all just fried up on the same grill? If anyone knows exactly what they might mean, let me know. While I think brunch usually trends towards sweets rather than savories, I'm really glad they didn't do that with this burger. Like, imagine if they tried to Monte Cristo this with some powdered sugar or jam? Hard pass. As it is, nothing to dislike - all the best bits of a classic American breakfast, minus the sausage. Hey, Applebee's...add sausage.

Kuro Shogun Burger, Burger King JP
Can you believe it's been about 3 years since the first black bun burger was released from Burger King Japan? I've still not tried one, and I would like to. The bun is infused with charcoal, giving it the trademark color and perhaps, I can guess, a more smokey and burnt flavor. Or, no additional flavor whatsoever.  It's also topped with:
"Grilled eggplant and 'hashed sauce', which is apparently made with squid ink, wine, garlic, and tomato." Sounds like it would be a bit like Hayashi demi-glace, a pretty popular accompaniment to beef in Japan. I can also see some black cheese - no idea if that's special, or just colored cheese. Either way, nice!

picture mooched from UmamiBurger on Twitter...they have no press page :(

Umami Burger, Umami Burger
This one was quite trendy when it came out years ago, and I think I missed the boat on it being a real hot property, but I still think it sounds delicious. It's topped with:
"parmesan frico, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onions, Umami house ketchup" I think the parmesan frico is like a baked wafer of parmesan, and the rest of it is self-explanatory. The whole deal with this burger is that it's supposed to be completely representative of the 5th taste, umami. It's just kinda super-savory, is the real basic idea. I'm a big fan of the rich flavors of umami, so everything to do with this burger is of interest to me. It's a small chain, and I'm surprised it hasn't made it over to the UK yet to be honest. Maybe after the dust has settled on Shake Shack? They do lots of interesting burgers, including a Korean barbecue inspired one.

Sriracha Steakburger, Steak 'n' Shake
Steak 'n' Shake really reminds me of home - they're headquartered in Indiana, so there were always tons of them when I was growing up. As a teenager me and all my friends hung out in any number of their locations, eating teeny tiny thin li'l fries dipped in unctuous neon cheese food & drinking incredibly thick shakes. They didn't do a lot of weird flavors when I was growing up, but lately they've really expanded their choices - especially with shakes!  Anyway, I'm talking about this burger right now, which is topped with:
"Two slices pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, crispy onions and plenty of authentic Sriracha sauce."
I hope the Sriracha sauce trend never ends, because it's delicious and I'm enjoying how much it's getting integrated into my life. I love a nice hot hamburger, and this one certainly fits the bill. The vinegary sweetness present in the jalapeno & Sriracha probably will keep this from being too hot, and it'll instead be palatably sour with some heat.

So, any burgers I missed that I really should know about? I'm always on the look out for interesting hamburgers!

OyatsuBox July Unboxing

Another month, another awesome OyatsuBox! This July I received a great variety of snacks - gummies, crisps, stranger snack than that - and a mysterious little fellow who seemed to be quite upset with me.

Special feature of this video that was missing from the others: I tested some of the candy right there, on camera. Have a watch, and subscribe to me on Youtube if you please. Oh, I do hope that you please.

OyatsuBox June Unboxing

New unboxing video! This OyatsuBox is even better than last month's. Take a look and feel free to subscribe to me on Youtube.



As I mentioned in the video, I plan to do a giveaway once my prize from OyatsuBox arrives. Keep your eyes peeled here, Twitter, and Facebook - I'll be making a big stink of it everywhere!

OyatsuBox May Unboxing

I uploaded my first video to Youtube, it's an unboxing of May's OyatsuBox. It was fun - think I'll do more of these. :) The OyatsuBox itself is a great value - probably my favorite of all the Japanese candy subscription boxes I've seen, as it packs the most variety.

Look forward to reviews coming in the next week! Until then, take a look at my initial reactions:

Special Feature - Food I'd Like to Eat: Starbucks Worldwide Edition

This year I'm not planning any big trips or vacations anywhere - so I've convinced my world travelling tummy to turn to the internet to explore the things we'll be missing out on. Sorry, tummy - we're saving that ££. In the mean time, let's see what's up at Starbucks across the world!

Oh, Starbucks Japan. Is there ever a season goes by where I don't wish I could just teleport into one of your jazzy, dark woodgrain cafes in Tokyo? No. If you've never browsed through the Starbucks Japan website, I recommend it - you'll see that they list dozens & dozens of interesting pastries, savouries, Frappuccinos & coffees. Things like maple biscuits, banana cream pies, and an awesome looking sausage & cheddar bagel. Apparently offered as part of the general menu, but I'm specifically looking for seasonal bits. Starbucks Japan doesn't let me down - after all, it's Spring!

Yes! The Sakura season always brings about a Starbucks cherry blossom item or two. This year there is a lovely looking cake, and a variation on the usual sakura flavors in the drinks - this time, there is also hints of caramel & chocolate. I think it looks great, but I can't help but wonder how well-balanced it could be with so many different flavors competing for attention. I think caramel & cherry blossom could go really well together, but the chocolate is a bit strong so I wonder how it works. Can't make it to Starbucks Japan? Well...can you make it to a convenience store in Japan, somehow?

Congratulations if so, because that means you can try out this refrigerated insta-latte with sakura & added strawberry flavor! Thing is, I think this one sounds best of them all, haha. I hope to someday be in Japan during the Spring so I can not only try these special sakura menus, but also see the absolutely beautiful cherry blossoms that bloom then. The problem is, it's also the most expensive time to travel to Japan. Whoops!

Starbucks Singapore is no slouch in the Asia-Pac region, as evidenced by the amount of limited edition offerings they've put on at the beginning of 2015. This awesome raspberry truffle mocha is shared between them, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

Takes me back to that Christmas where the UK got dark chocolate cherry mocha as a limited edition - that was so lovely, it's a shame they never have brought it back. Well, if you miss fruity & chocolatey coffees all you have to do is visit Singapore! May I also throw a big ol' bone to what must be the delicious Honey Vanilla Macchiato. I love honey lattes from Tully's in Japan, so this is probably much the same!

Starbucks China gets in on the seasonal act with a few different celebratory Chinese New Year drinks. A spicy mocha, a chestnut macchiato, and the one I'd like to highlight: the Peach Blossom Tea Latte!

That sounds right up my street, sweet & milky with whipped cream on top. I like the difference between the whipped cream imagery between this one & the raspberry truffle mocha - the tea latte looks delicate (a gentle plop, if you will) & lightly whipped, whereas the raspberry mocha has a proud, firm whipped cream topping. Get this - you can also get the Peach Blossom Tea Latte in Starbucks Canada.

Starbucks USA isn't really going wild this season, but that's to be expected - I don't think I ever remember an exciting spring release in Starbucks America. It might've been when the fruity blended Tazos came out or something, but who cares about those?

The latest drinks are Tiramisu lattes & Frappuccinos, and a Caramel Flan latte & Frappuccinos. Now I gotta bit of a beef with the Caramel Flan one because that, to me, just sounds like caramel. I'd love to know if there is any legitimately different taste, so I'd try it. The Tirimisu one, however, sounds quite nice with a mascarpone flavor...dunno if that would actually have a strong taste, either. Also, they pale in comparison to the overloaded Japanese versions of those same flavors from last year, which had actual hunks of those desserts in the drink. Now that would be worth a try.

This sandwich, however, sounds awesome: Bacon, Gouda, and Parmesan Frittata in Starbucks USA.

As much as I like a lot of the food at Starbucks (here in the UK, I love the Cheese & Marmite toastie) it really seems to me that it's just not that kinda place you can go & just order food. I'm sure that no one would kick you out, but I can't deal with the judgement of a barista if I actually just want to order lunch.

That being said, they're really promoting a new menu of interesting looking lunches and a couple of awesome new baked goods - and they're launching the 'Starbucks Evenings' menu in the UK (first location is Stansted Airport) so maybe Starbucks is positioning itself to be seen as more of a dining option in addition to just coffees? I'm down with that!

The things I'm most looking forward to trying at Starbucks UK are the Nutella Cookie & the 3 Cheese Toastie.

You can expect a review of at least one of these (and it will definitely be that Nutella Cookie...) very shortly! The Nutella Cookie is a lightly spiced cookie filled with Nutella. What's not to like? The 3 Cheese Toastie is mascarpone, red leicester, and cheddar. Truffle-infused mascarpone, no less. That would be one indulgent lunch, haha - *cracks knuckles* and I'm just the woman to eat it.

Writing this round up of Starbucks across the world made me very hungry & sleepy. 

Japan Food Round-Up, part 2 - Drinks

What's the number one thing to come out of vending machines in Japan? You could make a pretty blue joke right now, but this is a family blog so I'll stick to the honest answer: drinks!

Not only are there lots of drinks in vending machines, there are also lots & lots (& lots) of drinks in shops. It's amazing the selection of both alcoholic & non alcoholic beverages in Japan. In carton format, in cans, in bottles, whatever you can dream of, they've put a drink in it. Here's an extremely cool example. I took a couple covert snaps inside of a Lawson 100, a discount store like a Dollar Tree or a Poundland except in Japan and 100 yen. Of course, not everything was just 100 yen, as you can see the alcohol was about double that price, making it an amazingly just over a £1 a can, for drinks that range in ABV from nothing to 9 percent. Oh, did I mention they all taste really nice & well blended? Because they do.

Calpis Sours are really, really nice. I also had those 'Strong' chu-hi drinks a lot, and they give you quite a fun buzz with a zesty, fruity taste. They're mostly citrus fruits, so it does a good job masking the taste of alcohol. The 'Strong Zero' variety are zero sugar, and they weren't nearly as nice - tasted a bit bitter for the most part. There are a bunch more of these canned boozy drinks, some of which I will get more in-depth with later on in this post.

I took this picture mostly because Energy Water cracked me up, and I never want to forget that it exists. Now these cartons are just 100 yen - unbelievable, huh? That's less than a £1, and just about a $1 for a liter of Honey & Apple juice, or Chardonnay Water. Or hey, even Energy Water. There's a bigger selection than this, I just snapped a quick one, but you can also expect cartons of pre-mixed lattes, flavored milks the likes of which you've never seen, royal milk tea, mochas, ramune flavored juice (?), and many more esotasty things. Esotasty is esoteric & tasty - feel free to use it.

Here's a drink I had a couple times - they have a lot of fresher coffee variants like this, from various brands. This Starbucks one was probably my favorite, as it was salted caramel. Of course it's my favorite, if you read this blog much at all that's no shock! The rest of these fresh, refrigerated coffees were quite nice - mostly very milky & sweet, like canned coffees but these tasted less canned. Makes sense! It wasn't a very saline-heavy drink, it seemed like they increased the sugar quotient in the caramel & then added a bit of salt. It was still very nice - not as good as a fresh salted caramel mocha from Starbucks (wish they'd bring it back this year) but hey - not bad at all.

We only went to McDonald's twice on the trip, the menu at the time was actually quite boring - not boring, however, were the McFizzes. These particular ones are the McFizz McFloats, in the flavors of McMelon & McMango. They were so generous with the soft serve, it was definitely more a dessert than a drink. However, it was still refreshing! Like the McFizz in Singapore, it was heavy on the syrup at the bottom so you have to mix it up a bit, but when you do it's a nicely balanced fruity drink. These are such a cool idea, it's a good way for a company like McDonald's to experiment with different flavors at a low cost - it's just the syrup investment.

This was a strange one, but I really enjoyed it - my husband loved it! It was so sour and mouthwatering, as you drank it you just wanted more. I think the zero meant no sugar, and if this contained actual vinegar it was probably a pretty healthy drink. Or it was just super-sour artificially sweetened water. Either way, I liked it loads and wish there was a drink half as sour that was readily available!

This was another weird one, a bottled soda float experience. I'd say it did a fairly good job of replicating the middle portion of a float - where the ice cream & soda first converges. It was thicker than soda, tasted a bit vanilla-y, but mostly like sweet Japanese cider, which sort of tastes like Sprite. So, kind of like thickened vanilla Sprite but in a really cute opaque color & with adorable label art. Not as refreshing as some of the other drinks I had, considering the thicker consistency - but definitely a nice way to get a little sugar in your system.

I really love bubble tea, and going around to London's varied bubble tea places is always a big treat. I've found one very near my office and I'm trying hard not to go everyday - so it stays special. If I lived in Japan, it would be impossible not to drink one of these everyday.

Oh yeah! On the shelf of convenience stores, just grab yourself a coconut milky bubble tea! This was delicious - thick like coconut milk (might've even been that) and lots of little pearls. I've heard rumors of Asian grocery stores in London stocking canned bubble tea...but I've yet to see evidence of that. Although I'm not sure canned would be that nice...

I mentioned earlier all these delish, fruity chu-hi boozy drinks, here are 3 that we bought one night. The hi-ball was my husband's, he liked it. The 'Roomy', while I don't have any idea what it means, was very nice and light. Peachy with a touch of apricot. The apple was super nice, very red & juicy tasting. All of them have a slight taste of alcohol, but it's nice and subtle.

Well, that's drinks of Japan for you! There were a few more I had at restaurants, but I'm going to save those for another round-up...a restaurant one, haha.

Japan Food Round-Up, part 1 - Japanese Vending Machines

I've already covered one Japanese snack from my last trip, and these articles will be more like quick snaps of the meals I ate, the snacks I had while there, and my general musings about this vacation.

To start - I was anticipating less "weird" food & drink this time around, as that has been the trend in Japan for at least a year or so. There have been way less 'wacky' KitKats (exception being bakeable custard pudding, which was very innovative but I'd already tried it), and no 'strange' Pepsis released since Pepsi White of last year, reviewed here. Who knows why, I can also tell you that there is a bit of a shift in fashion as well; even though I don't follow fashion as strongly as I do snacks, I did recognize way more "Americana" influence there than before - lots of J Crew. Disappointingly, the women's fashion was very Tumblr/blogger influenced, same as it is here in the UK. That means a lot of the same sorts of things that you can find in a Next or Topshop, which isn't very good for me as I like the more bright/pastel color palettes & 'cute' clothes that used to be easy to find in Japan. Oh well, times they are a changing, and maybe I should too!

I'll never compromise on snacks, though. Never. So it was with some regret that I report back that yes, there were much less wild & wooly snacks than there were last time I was there. Now, some of this might have to do with the fact that I now have pretty easy access to Japanese snacks, whenever I want, thanks to NapaJapan, Candysan, and OyatsuCafe. If I see something I want, generally I can get it online now - not necessarily the case 3 years ago, due to some sites not being around and me having less of a snack budget, haha.

So, all that being said there was still plenty of interesting and tasty things on this trip to report back on!

Vending machines were still a very common sight - I was mentioning on Twitter how it would be nice if there were more of these in London, but I think even more than the machines themselves I want the options. These were just in the airport, for example:

You can't make out very well what's here (even zoomed in, sorry!) but it's a combination of hot and cold drinks of varying types. Fruit drinks, coffee, hot chocolate, teas, et cetera. 

Here's a little more detail - as you can see there is an almond drink of some sort, either hot chocolate or a coffee beverage. Lots of coffee options, and even more in the zoomed out pic. You can see a couple examples of juices too, including an intriguing Orange Julius type drink at the bottom left.

I regret never trying anything from this ice cream machine - not only was it at Narita Airport, I also spotted them frequently in arcades and on the street. It was so steaming hot, it's crazy that I didn't have even one! The most interesting flavors available in this one are green tea & red beans, watermelon with funny black specks, shirokuma (condensed milk, bits of fruit and mochi), and two 'squeezy' looking tubes of soda flavored sorbet, cider & orange. They look like they might be slushie-style. 

These Van Houten Cocoas are very nice - I had them often when I was in Japan a few years ago, and never got around to trying one while I was there this time around. I had a few other cold chocolate drinks though, and in the same way they were strongly flavored - unlike chocolate milk elsewhere. I think since they're geared more for 'adult' tastes there is just a bit more cocoa...like an actual cold hot chocolate, not just a chocolate milk. What a distinction, only a goober like me would even think there was a difference. But there is!

The canned coffees seen are just two examples out of dozens upon dozens seen in Japan. The differences, I feel, are generally pretty minute. The ones labelled 'black' are generally just that, black coffee without sugar. The ones I usually drink are any that aren't labelled black, because they're almost always quite milky, sweet, and easy to drink. They have a caffeine kick, but I think your average coffee aficionado would see little resemblance between these and their favorite flat white. I like both, personally. Coffee culture is making some inroads in Japan, I noticed quite a few sweet little European looking cafes, but I think it's still not as common as tea, for instance. Or these canned coffees. While we were there, the weather was so incomprehensibly hot that a steaming cup of joe would've been a nightmare.

This was a cool machine in the airport that was all Disney themed snacks and little bits. I think there was a row of little metal jewelry boxes. There were also very well-boxed Minnie Mouse truffles, and little cookies & Toppo snacks, all Disney-decorated.

You know Japan is truly the land of vending machines: here are a few more from the trip.

This is a pretty standard entry - big cans of Coke, water in both flavored & vitamin enhanced varieties, plain waiter, a selection of canned coffees, 'Real Gold' which tastes like boiled sweets & is very nice (allegedly also vitamin enriched) and my personal favorite - Grape Fanta. I so wish that this would come out in the UK - grape soda is delicious, and yeah, I know you can get it through Ka so not all is lost - but considering how many weird varieties of 'red fruits' Fanta comes out with here in England you'd think they'd at least toss one grape in the mix. It's a standard flavor elsewhere, after all.

Here's a slightly more exotic machine, not a real familiar brand in sight. I can't believe I never tried that green can on the top row, furthest right: I think it was meant to be a guarana Brazilian style soda with an 'ice cream float' texture. I did however try one of these 'soda float' pre-mixed drinks, and I'll talk about it in my drinks round-up...later. The rest of the machine is full of juices, tea drinks, vitamin drinks, water and of course, more canned coffee. This one struck me as particularly strange - like a lot of them sort of have a theme: this one is mostly soda, this one is mostly coffee, this one is mostly water & 'healthier' drinks...that's nearly what this one is, but Power Squash and the guarana one don't seem healthy? If anyone has any insight, I'd love to hear it!

I wish I would've gotten more pictures of vending machines - after awhile it just felt a bit conspicuous, like I was a particularly weird tourist. I don't mind being a tourist, I just don't like being a weird one that obsessively documents what is otherwise daily, normal life. The most exciting ones were also in the busiest & 'coolest' areas, like Harajuku and Akihabara, so I didn't want to be backing up trying to get the perfect shot & getting in the way of another person's 'perfect shot', haha.

The true question on everyone's lips - what was my favorite find in the vending machines? CC Grape, of course! Yep, it was like CC Lemon (which is lightly carbonated in Japan, at least it seems most varieties are - the imported bottles in the UK are always flat & more juice-like) but grape flavored! So a bit tangy, not too sweet, and very refreshing. The best part is that we share initials.

My husband's favorite was the Pepsi Refresh Shot, which you can buy at NapaJapan. It was just a short can of slightly sweeter tasting Pepsi, but he loved it. It doubled the caffeine of regular Pepsi, so maybe it was more of an addiction than a love.

My next round-up is coming soon, but I'm not sure what to write about next! so, tell me - what would you like to see first?

• Savory snacks
• Drinks
• Sweets (might have to be 2 posts, haha)
• Meals
• Final Fantasy Cafe Eorzea

They'll all get written, but what's the most exciting? 

Special Feature - FILE, Japan Edition: Cream Puffs

You might think, "Cream puffs? How could you possibly spin out an entire blog post about cream puffs you'd like to eat - in Japan no less!" The answer is - I love cream puffs.

I could write an entire blog about cream-filled pastries. If I went to college I'd write my thesis on eclairs. Get it man, I love cream puffs.

I mean, you probably coulda guessed that based off of my blog name. I love all things creamy - and like all patriots - I also love steak. Cream comes first though. It's cream, red and blue to me.

Anyway, I can easily come up with a multitude of cream puffs I'd like to eat. Let's start with one that I've already had and love. If ever I wake up chewing my pillow, it's because of this.

Image from Beard Papa's Website

Oh yes. You're probably thinking something like, "Gee, that looks like a lumpy white brain. In fact, I'm not sure you even know what a cream puff is, Creamy Steaks." Well, let this photo change your mind, wise guy:

Image from Beard Papa's website

That's right - it's like some cuckoo nutzoid mochi cream puff. If I recall correctly, the filling is a bit 'cheesier' than the classic Beard Papa, as if it's made of cream cheese & cream. I'll be sure to uh...try it again to make sure. But that's not all, folks! The benevolent bearded patriarchy of Beard Papa also created Mocha 'Shiro' Puffs that is all mocha flavored with bits of coffee jelly inside the cream!

 Unfortunately, they are already gone. They were a monthly special, now replaced by Golden Pineapple regular puffs. The good news is those also sound quite tasty...but they would've been better as chewy, stretchy puffs. Oh well!

It's not just Beard Papa though, oh no - cream puffs are really quite popular in Japan it seems, and there certainly were lots to choose from when I was there in 2011. It seems the trend has not waned, and really, cream puffs are timeless...not trendy. Back home in the USA they actually aren't that common, at least in Indiana, but me and my dad used to get these freezer tubs of mini-eclairs and mini-cream puffs, and I would just eat until I couldn't eat no more. They truly are one of my all time favorite foods - it's like that Wu Tang song C.R.E.A.M., you know, the one about how you need to get money to get more cream.

Image taken from FamilyMart Website

This one is from Family Mart, a line of convenience stores in Japan that is everywhere, and awesome. I think we may have went to even more Family Marts than we did 7-11s, as at the time they were running a super cool promotion with Rodney Alan Greenblat, the guy who did Parappa the Rappa. No puffs involved there, but this one is in fact banana cream. Specifically, whipped cream atop banana custard, and the puff itself is apparently covered in banana coating. Interesting! I'll definitely keep my eyes...peeled for this one.

Not to be outdone, 7-11 Japan also has a fruity cream puff out this month!

Mm, melon puff! Now, I suppose this looks a bit more like bread, but it's hard to tell without eating it. Regardless, it is filled with melon custard cream - so I'm sure it's tasty. Does it count as a cream puff or is it a cream bun? I'll find out when I eat it.

Then there is this one, available at the otherwise fairly 'classical' Ginza West:

Image from Ginza West

I had to leave the name on lest people not believe me - but this is a cream puff with added gorgonzola. It simply must be tried. I've had the 'European Cheese' flavored KitKat, and a few other strange 'cheese' sweets from Japan - they're usually not that strange, tasting more like cream cheese than anything else. However, since this specifies that it is using gorgonzola, I can only imagine that it will in fact taste like that. I'm looking forward to finding out!

So that's most all of the cream puffs I want to try in Japan. They'll come before the random things, but probably after the drinks. Melon puff & melon milkshake? Don't mind if I do.